So, I was meaning to tell you....

Posted on Wed Dec 12th, 2018 @ 5:16am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris & Ensign Kara Hoffman

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Kara and Gallia's Quarters
Timeline: after BIG NEWS
2197 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Fresh off of her conversation with her brother, Gallia walked into the living area and began to unpack some of her personal things, waiting for Kara to join her. I hope, she thought, that this doesn't change things between us, we just found each other and this might...

She shook her head, forcing it out of her mind, as she put up a picture from her days in the Academy. The picture showed a very bald Gallia with a Chinese girl named Diana and their mutual friend Debby, along with another person who was blurred out of the picture; blurred out quite deliberately.

Kara entered their room soon after, fresh off her duty shift. She wiped her brow as she walked in, looking physically exhausted. "Well sweetheart, that's another good day done. Lieutenant Holt and I were working in the main computer core together. He's still dealing with his demotion, but at least he's being pleasant I suppose." She smiled and kissed Gallia's cheek as she passed to sit down at the table. "How was your day off darlin' ?"

"Fine, fine." Gallia replied, her heart warming as Kara kissed her, "Got Tay down for a nap, decided to do some decoratin' around the place, make it feel homey for all of us. As for Holt, the hell with that guy. I mean, I dunno, maybe he had a point, but that doesn't matter, you're the Assistant Chief, and he didnae hafta be such an arse about it. Maybe the Captain will reinstate him sooner or later, or send him off..." Gallia didn't like William Holt, never had, and his treatment of Kara made her want to beat him into the deck like a self sealing stem bolt, "Anyway, I dinnae want ta talk about Holt or work or nothin' like that. I let my brother know about us."

"Now now, let's not discuss work the-". Kara stopped, and frowned a little, tilting her head. "You're brother eh...Was he ok about us or..?" She paused and inhaled sharply. "What's going on?" Kara questioned. She grew a little concerned now, she started to worry that Gallia's brother did not approve of them being together. All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind. She had made an oath to protect and care for Gallia and Tayalas. Nobody would get in the way of that.

"He's thrilled for me." Gallia smiled, "Happier still that you're, as Charles puts it, one of our own. Cannae wait for ya to meet him, him and his wife Vaylana, oh, she's a beauty that one. Oh, and by then his baby probably!" She cast an eye over her shoulder to the picture from third year, the blur of what once was, a memory of the kind of love she never thought she'd find again.

Relief spilled over Kara's mind and she jumped up and quickly hugged Gallia tight, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around Gallia's waist. "I'm so relieved. You had me worried for a moment there." Upon opening her eyes, she noticed the picture sitting on the shelf and she gasped. "NO WAY!" She exclaimed loudly, releasing Gallia and staring at the photo behind them. "You...you have got to be kidding...that's you isn't it?! Where'd your hair go? oh my gosh, that's...well..." She awkwardly held one corner of her mouth wide open, eyes bulging. She tilted her head from side to side in disbelief.

"Did it look that bad?" Gallia asked sheepishly, even though logically she knew it didn't matter anymore, her hair having long since grown back, "Yeah, that's me. Third year...."

Kara shook her head and smiled. "No, it doesn't look so bad at all, i'm just teasin'." She smiled and moved closer to the photo to take a closer look. "Oh" She exclaimed. "Seems this photo is damaged in some way? Someone here has been lost from this picture, that's a shame. Perhaps i could take it to engineering and see if there's a way to repair it for you sweetie? I'm sure these are your friends from your Academy days, i'm sure i could find a way to restore it for you." Kara smiled, now picking the photo up, to inspect it closer. "However, to me it almost looks as if this person has been...-" She paused, and squinted a little inspecting the photo, now quiet.

"Her name was Selina." Gallia began, "At the time this picture was taken we were engaged, gonna be married the day after graduation. Well, when mum died, I shaved my head, I still dinnae know why, made sense at the time. She didnae mind that, even told me how cute I looked, would rub ma head until I fell asleep sometimes. But, then fourth year comes and I lose Dolana, and gain Tayalas. Four days later, the day after we bury my sister, I lost Selina. That's why I blurred her outta the picture..."

Kara held the picture steady as Gallia spoke. She let a small breath escape her lips. Kara had never lost anyone besides her grandfather, she could not pretend to understand what Gallia must have been through. One heartbreak after another. Her deep brown eyes examined every detail of the picture, Gallia's exuberant smile stood out the most. "You look so happy here." Kara eventually whispered, after a few moments of silence. "I'm so sorry for your losses Gallia. Selina and Dolana meant the world to you. You lost them both, which is utterly horrible. I really am so sorry." Kara took a deep breath, letting the air out slowly, as she tried to imagine how happy Gallia must have been one day, then completely broken with sadness just a few days later. "I never want to see you suffer. Seeing you in any pain would break my heart, I know they must have felt the same."

Well, as it turns out, Selina wasn't much of a loss." Gallia shrugged, leaning forward and laying her head on Kara's shoulder, "I handed her Tayalas for ten minutes while I set up my sister's funeral, she tells me later she can't handle a child and that was all their was to it. We'd been together since we took our entrance exams..."

"But, that's the past." Gallia pressed on, wiping a tear from her eyes, "I've moved onwards and upwards, to a woman who deserves me and, most importantly, Tayalas. Missed the hair more than I miss Selina, and I didnae really miss it at all."

As Gallia leaned her head onto Kara's shoulder she felt as if everything in the universe simply made sense. However upon hearing Selina's complete rejection of Tayalas and in turn Gallia, made Kara frown. Inside, she couldn't understand how anybody could abandon such a beautiful child with such ease and without remorse. kara put the photo back down and shook her head. "By the way. I know this is changing the topic, however I've set-up for some things to be replaced in here. With the increase in pay thanks to my promotion, I can actually afford to get some comforts for you and Tayalas. I know my hours are longer than yours, I want to make things as easy on you and Tayalas as possible if I have to pull double shifts or, well you know. A new bed for us, some extra storage space oh and a new bed for Tayalas too! I got a few more things, oh what the hell I might have gone a little over-board but if you don't like anything you can just let me know." She leaned her head against Gallia's and wrapped her arm around her waist, holding her tight. "And we still need to pick something and somewhere for our first official date by the way."

"I dinnae care where it is." Gallia smiled, "Long as I'm with you, that's the important part. But, ya didnae have ta spend so much money. I mean, Estelle gifted us a custom crib for Tayalas, and well, there's this one other thing.... I mean, it's nothin' really, but, well, I gotta tell ya before Great Aunt Mary does and you feel like I've been hidin' things from you. I want our relationship to be honest and up front, so, I got something to tell you. It's nothing bad, but it is important."

Kara smiled. "Well i know it's a naughty thing to do, but I got a little carried away i suppose. Overexcited maybe." Kara changed her tone to a more serious note. "Alright, sounds important. I'll stop foolin' around. What is it that you need to tell me honey? I'm ready for anything."

"Alright. Ya know, on mum's side, the clan name is Fraser." Gallia began, "So, technically, though I dinnae think it matters anymore, I am...." She paused for a second and took a deep breath, "I'm Lady Lovat. With the title comes land. Lots of it. I didnae want ta tell ya until I knew it was right. And, well, it didnae take long to know this was right."

"Uh" Kara turned ,to look at Gallia with a very confused expression. "Lady Lovat?" She repeated. "Honey, I'm so sorry but I don't think i understood a single thing that you said." Kara raised both hands, with index fingers pointed upwards. She breathed in, and sighed out, and started scratching her head. "I... uh, mmm....no, i'm definitely confused."

"Some ancestor a' mine, about five centuries back, had some sorta noble title, and as the oldest livin' descendant, I hold the title now." Gallia said, "It's more important to my Great Aunt Mary than to me. But, yeah, there's a lot of land, money, etcetera. But, I know that means nothin' to ya, I know you're here for me and Tayalas, and that's the important part."

Kara smiled. "You can call yourself Lady Lovat If you want, but you'll always be my Gallia. No amount of anythin' could change that sweetheart. I can understand how it could be important, my Grandfather often told me about the various histories of the clans. How they fought entire wars using swords larger than people for land and the resources or whatever the land held. Tayalas will have one hell of a history teacher between the both of us eh?"

"That she will." Gallia laughed, relieved, "Oh, and the whole Lady Lovat thing makes me bloody uncomfortable. Maybe later it'll be different, but I much prefer bein' just your Gallia. As for the lands, well, least we have a place for our retirement. So, between baldness, exes, and titles, I think I'm outta shockers for the night."

Kara laughed, smiling and kissing her cheek. "Oh no, please. Throw more at me, I'm having fun!" Kara jested, with a cheeky tone. "Dinnae fash yourself Gallia, Nothing you could tell me, will ever scare me away. Retirement? oh dear, to think one day i'll end up like my god father...Old. I cannae believe i'm soon gonna be thirty. Tayalas will soon be talking fluent sentences, then before we know it, she'll be having teenage hissy fits and talking about relationships. Ah jeeze ok maybe that is one thing i'm not quite ready for yet, thank goodness we have a few years to prepare for that fun."

"There's a terrifyin' thought if ever there was one." Gallia laughed nervously, the idea of Tayalas as a teen was frightening to her, "If she's anythin' like Dolana, she's gonna be some piece of work." She snuggled in closer to Kara, "Least now I dinnae have to go through that alone."

Kara led Gallia over to the bed and proceeded tolay her down softly to cuddle into her. "I don't care what happens, you'll never be alone again." Kara smiled warmly kissing Gallia's neck and snuggled herself as close as she could. "You're so warm and cozy, thanks for being here for me too. Never fear Gallia Hoffman is here...or...Kara Norris? Hmm" She jested, as they lay on the bed. " Tayalas Jayce Diane Kara Gallia Norris Hoffman?" She giggled and struggled to stop.

Gallia giggled along with her lover, stroking the brunette's face, "We got forever to figure that out." She smiled, "And I bet I can think of a better usage of our time right now."

Kara's eyes opened wide. "Oh really?" She smiled. "Well then, why don't you tell me, what's the better usage of our time at this moment sweetie?" She winked and pouted a little, again giggling softly. " We could be boring adults and...Shock horror, go to sleep?" She said with clear sarcasm. "We must be responsible and make smart decisions." She couldn't hold it in any longer and giggled furiously. "Yeah right!"

"Your poker face needs work, my love." Gallia laughed, sinking into Kara, "The baby's asleep and we've got this nice bed here we need to give a proper sendoff to...."

Kara again kissing Gallia's neck softly, and begin to rub her hand up and down Gallia's arm. Speaking softly, licking her ear erotically. "You' be right, a proper send-off my dearest." She whispered with a cheeky tone of voice. "Computer, lights off."